The Gathering of the Lords
by TheShadowChild7
Summary: AU. Sirius Black, ready to take his title 'Lord Black', is prepared to turn Wizarding Britain around. Harry Potter, with the help of his friends and a couple of new allies, will restore order to Hogwarts. Marlene McKinnon isn't as 'dead' as everyone thought. Narcissa Malfoy is taking action. Contains OCs. Warnings inside. On short hiatus (I'M SORRY!)
1. A Letter from an Old Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Everything you recognise belongs to J. K. Rowling. I only own my OCs.

A/N: Thank you so much to KeegSlytherin, MaeSilverpaws1, thecrimsonsleepingdragon, Panther, Emily, Zalz, Winged Seer Wolf, TheBull017, stars 90, .B22, HarnGin and I-JUST-LOST-THE-GAME. Obviously, I have decided to rewrite the story. As KeegSlytherin suggested, I will add more background elements to my OCs. Draco and Narcissa will be more realistic as well. However, the rest of the story will remain pretty much the same, probably with a less disappointing and anticlimactic battle scene. Again, THANK YOU!

Warnings: Other Male Characters, Other Female Characters, Subtle mentions of insanity

Chapter One: A Letter from an Old Friend

Sirius Black had never hated Grimmauld Place this much. It was about as bad as being locked up in Azkaban. Maybe it was even worse. In Azkaban, he didn't hear his mother screaming at him, he didn't stumble upon the remnants of dark items with every step he took and he didn't see pictures of his dreadful relatives on every wall. Sirius was currently sitting on an uncomfortable wooden chair in the grimy, funereal kitchen of his childhood home, listening to Albus Dumbledore drone on and on about Voldemort and the power of love. He sighed loudly. Several Order members shot him dark, filthy looks. _Probably for interrupting the almighty Albus bloody Dumbledore, _he thought sarcastically. His favourite Order member and ex-partner in the Auror Force, Kingsley Shacklebolt, looked at him sympathetically. Arthur Weasley shot him a small, understanding smile. His best friend, Remus Lupin, gently placed a hand on his shoulder in a failed attempt to calm him. Sirius hated those Order meetings. He wanted to defeat Voldemort as much as everyone else did, but being trapped in his own home, dictated by an imperious Molly Weasley and a senile Albus Dumbledore was slowly driving him insane. Not to mention, at that particular moment, the Dark Lord was not Sirius's biggest worry. He was wondering what his family were doing. Were they safe? Where were they? Were they happy? His wife had fled with their one-year-old son when James and Lily had been brutally murdered by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He remembered that night well.

_A twenty-year-old Sirius Black was running frantically, tears clouding his vision. He reached the home in Godric's Hollow, his wife Marlene a few steps behind him. They had left their son with their trusted friends, Emmeline Vance and Dorcas Meadowes. Sirius kicked the door open and ran inside, praying his friends hadn't really been attacked. He was immediately confronted by the cold, lifeless body of James Potter. "NO!" he yelled. "JAMES!" he shook the man's frozen body violently. "JAMES, WAKE UP!" Marlene hugged him from behind. Tears were streaming down her face as she stared at the man she had come to love like a brother. Only once he felt the familiar touch around his body did Sirius realise the truth. James was dead. Gone. He sobbed uncontrollably in Marlene's shoulder. _

"_JAMES!" he screamed. "JAMES, COME BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! JAMES! JAMES!" _

_He stood up abruptly and ran up the stairs, remembering Harry and Lily. Were they gone, too? They couldn't be! He ran into the nursery. The entire room was covered in debris. _

"_LILY! LILY, WHERE ARE YOU?" No reply came. _

_Sirius couldn't breathe. "Lily," he whispered. "Lily, don't leave!" _

_He started throwing the pieces of broken furniture around the room. Underneath it all, Lily was lying lifelessly on the cold floor. Her once brilliant green eyes were now cold and unblinking. Sirius sank to the floor. He wanted to die. James... Lily... They were gone. _

"_I'm going to kill you, Peter," he whispered maniacally. "Come out, come out! Come to me, little Peter! Let me kill you!" _

_A faint crying brought him back to reality. Harry was sitting in his crib, looking at his mother. Sirius picked him up and tried to soothe him. Marlene rushed up the stairs. _

"_I've called Frank, Alice, Arthur and Kingsley," she said. "They're on their way." _

_Sirius nodded dumbly. Marlene noticed the boy in her husband's arms. _

"_Is that... By Merlin, how did he survive?" Sirius shook his head exhaustedly. _

_Just then, Dumbledore's voice sounded across the demolished house..._

Sirius sighed yet again, wishing he could talk to his wife and friends one last time, wishing he could have raised his son. But they were all gone, now.

"And that concludes today's meeting," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

Everyone stood up to leave. Sirius poured himself a glass of firewhiskey. Remus stayed behind.

"So, Remus, when is Harry getting here?" asked Sirius.

His friend gave him a stern look. "You know very well Harry's supposed to stay at Privet Drive until September."

Sirius growled. "He's _my godson! _I have every right to get custody of him."

Remus looked at him amusedly. "Except you're a convicted mass murderer," he said casually.

Sirius rolled his eyes and downed his glass. It didn't matter. He had a plan. He always did.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, one Harry James Potter was having a horrendous summer. At night, he was plagued by never-ending nightmares about Cedric Diggory. It seemed to him that memories of the frightful graveyard would never leave him alone. On top of all that, he still had at least another month with the Dursleys. Harry wouldn't have minded as much, had his friends sent him proper letters from time to time. Unfortunately, all he got were pathetic slips of parchment with messages such as:

"_We hope you're doing alright with the Muggles, Harry," or "We can't say anything. We'll tell you more when you get here."_

Harry would never admit to anyone how much these 'letters' bothered him. Only Sirius wrote him proper letters – letters about his parents, about their days at Hogwarts, about the Marauders, about Sirius's late girlfriend Marlene McKinnon. Harry felt a surge of empathy for his godfather. He knew what it was like to lose someone dear to him. Sirius also sent Harry books on various topics – Animagi, Metamorphmagi, duelling, Defence against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration were only a few of them. Harry didn't know where Sirius got the books from, but he was grateful for them. He had been practising Defence theory for weeks, but he still felt like he could do more. Thankfully, the Dursleys hardly bothered him that summer, so he was free to study as long as he wished. For now, at least...

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

"_James," Lily sighed in relief. "You're back!" _

_Her husband had been gone for three days and Lily had almost thought he wouldn't return. _

"_Did you doubt me, love?" James asked with a cheeky grin. _

_Lily just smiled. Sirius, who had been holding Harry, placed the boy in a highchair and hugged James. _

"_Don't leave like that again, you bloody prat," he mumbled. _

_James laughed. Little Harry giggled happily, glad to see his father again. James smiled at his son. _

"_My pride and joy," he whispered. _

_Lily picked her son up and turned to Marlene and Sirius. _

"_I heard Flavius and Amber are expecting a baby," she said. _

_Flavius and Amber Northwind were in the year above them at Hogwarts. Flavius was rumoured to be the most powerful wizard of their generation, but he rarely showed off his power. _

"_I heard," replied Marlene, carding her fingers through her own son's soft black hair. "I just hope they're safe. Poor Amber's going to be a target, being a Muggleborn and everything." _

_Lily winced slightly and held Harry closer to her chest. Marlene, realising her blunder, apologised profusely. _

"_You needn't apologise, Marlene. We both know that it's true..." _

Sirius woke up, breathing heavily. Those dreams never got any easier. He doubted they ever would. Why did it happen to _him_? His wife, son and best friends were gone. It wasn't fair! He checked his watch. It read 5.45. _I might as well get up,_ he thought grouchily.

A few cups of tea later, Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Nonsense!" he growled. "It's absolute rubbish!"

He flipped through countless letters of little interest to him, until he found something completely unexpected. It was a letter with the Malfoy crest on it. Sirius, after checking it for dark curses, opened it curiously.

_Dear Lord Black,_

_Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and I recently had a discussion about our son Draco Lucius's place in Lord Voldemort's ranks. My husband was adamant that Draco joins Voldemort's Death Eaters, but I strongly disagreed with him. As much as I value family and purity, I do not wish for my son to be turned into a mindless killer like Lords Avery and Yaxley. As our discussion became more heated, Lucius disowned me and by proxy, Draco. I write to you to ask for shelter with full knowledge that I will owe you a life debt, should you accept. Please think about this, of our shared blood, of our past._

_Sincerely,_

_Narcissa Cassiopeia Black_

_Former Lady Malfoy_

Sirius stared at the letter. He blinked. Narcissa, after ignoring him for twelve years, after helping his parents disown him, was asking him for help. He laughed mirthlessly, hollowly.

"Karma is sweet, dear Cissy!"

"Talking to yourself, Mr Black? They say that's the first sign of madness."

Sirius spun around. It was McGonagall.

"Minerva, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Mr Black. Tell me, why are you talking to your –," she paused, "Currently absent cousin?"

Sirius stayed silent for a moment, debating whether he should tell her. Finally, he handed her the letter. McGonagall pursed her lips.

"Mrs Malfoy should have expected that from her husband. He's not the loyal type, nor the chivalrous."

Sirius snorted. "You're definitely the Head of Gryffindor."

She glared at him. "Are you planning on helping them? I daresay it will be quite amusing for you to watch young Mr Malfoy start living in the real world."

"It would," agreed Sirius, "But I don't intend to help the woman who married that slimeball Lucy the Blondie, nor her equally slimy son, who has made my godson's life hell."

McGonagall's lips thinned. "Very well, Sirius, but remember what you said about karma."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "I've done nothing wrong! I'm not the one who joined the Death Eaters, a man who married someone for their money, a man who pushes little children to join Voldemort, or a man who kills for fun. I am innocent!"

The last sentence was said hauntingly, strongly, venomously. _I am innocent. _It was what had kept him sane, alive. It was what had given him determination and will. It was what had provided him with strength and passion, because Sirius Black was innocent. He had not murdered. He had not tortured. He was no longer a Black. Or so he thought. Black blood could not be escaped. It was a source of madness within them, a curse placed upon them, a constant reminder of their place in the world – Azkaban, Voldemort's base, roaming the shoddy, blackened cobblestone of Knockturn Alley. Sirius shivered.

"I have no particular liking toward the Malfoys, Mr Black. I will no longer discuss this with you."

"Very well," he sighed. "You never said, Minerva, what are you doing here so early?"

McGonagall's lips thinned again. "I needed to come without Albus noticing me. I have received intelligence that the new Defence against the Dark Arts professor will be Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."

Sirius recalled Tonks's description of a short, pink, toad-like woman (or at least Tonks had thought she was a woman) with a disgustingly sweet voice and an irritating fake cough. He made a face.

"_She _teaches Defence?"

"Quite unfortunately," replied McGonagall shortly. "I'm not at all convinced that it _is _a she," she added under her breath.

"I'll just have to teach Harry myself," said Sirius.

McGonagall turned to him. "Have you heard from Mr Potter lately?"

Sirius grimaced. "He hates it with the Muggles, but he hasn't said anything else. Just that Ron and Hermione don't write him often."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Mr Weasley and Ms Granger do not send him letters? Why, those three are inseparable!"

"I'm curious too," admitted Sirius. "Shall I ask them later?"

McGonagall stared at him for a moment, lost in thought. He had matured so much. He was almost an entirely different person. She supposed Azkaban had played its role in that, but McGonagall was positive that Harry was part of the reason too. Sirius would have done anything for James and it seemed like he had transferred those feelings onto his late friend's son. Sirius was no longer the cheerful, witty boy who swaggered through the halls of Hogwarts, mouthing off to the professors.

"Let's have a cup of tea first, Sirius. I feel we have a lot to talk about."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Tonks was on Guard Duty in Little Whinging. It was possibly the most boring job she had ever done in her life, paperwork at the Auror Office included. She had been standing in the same spot for hours. She just wanted to be able to walk around and talk with someone, namely Remus Lupin. Nymphadora Tonks, twenty-one years old, but still immature and childish as ever, decided to have a little fun with her job. With a crack and a wave of her wand, she was standing in the middle of the living room of 4 Privet Drive. She didn't know if Harry would remember her. Her mum, Andromeda, and Lily Potter had been friends, meaning that Tonks and Harry often played together as children. There was no way Harry would remember her. Petunia, who had been strutting around, dusting furniture and offering her son sweets, shrieked and dropped the platter she was holding.

"Good morning, Mrs – eh, what's your name?" Tonks grinned.

"Freak!" screamed Petunia. "Get out of my house!"

Tonks paid no attention to her. "Where's Harry?"

"I said get out! There's no Harry Potter here!"

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Fine then, I'll look for him myself."

She climbed the stairs and looked around. She cast a questioning look at the locked, barricaded door.

"Alohomora!"

Harry heard his aunt shriek and someone casting a spell. He jumped up, wand in hand. His heart was beating fast. What if it was a Death Eater? However, as the door flew open, he was faced not with a masked Death Eater, but a grinning girl with hair that could make a colour-blind person cringe.

"Who're you?" he demanded, pointing his wand at her throat.

She sidestepped, clearly unimpressed. "Tonks," she said simply. "And you're Harry Potter. I'm Sirius second cousin once rem– oh, never mind! I'm Sirius's relative!"

Harry stared at her. "Why should I believe you? Sirius never mentioned you!"

"Ah, well," said the girl with mock sadness. "Look, Dumbledore has an army of people guarding you at all times, and I'm one of them. It was my shift and I was bored. So I came to see you."

Now that she said it like that, it sounded like a rather foolish thing to do.

"How do I know you're not a Death Eater?"

Tonks couldn't help herself. She laughed out loud at that. "If I was a Death Eater, I would have kidnapped, tortured or killed you by now instead of discussing Dumbledore's minions and my bloodline with you."

_She does make a point, _thought Harry. "You look familiar," he said, still not removing his wand from her throat.

"Yeah, our parents were friends."

She remembered his favourite activity. She turned her nose into a duck bill. Harry's eyes went wide as he remembered a girl about seven years old with neon green hair and an ever-changing nose.

_Seven-year-old Tonks, her nose a pig snout and her hair neon green, was laughing as the year-old boy on the floor clapped enthusiastically. A redheaded woman in the back was smiling kindly, taking pictures with a Muggle camera, her emerald green eyes sparkling. A taller woman with curly black hair and stormy grey eyes made her way toward them. _

"_Come, Nymphadora, love, it's time to go." _

"_Mum!" whined the girl. "Don't call me that!" _

_The redheaded woman laughed good-naturedly. "I see Dora doesn't share your liking of that name, does she, Andy?" _

"_It's a lovely name," defended 'Andy'. _

"_No it's not," whined 'Dora'. "Mum gave me a stupid name 'cause everyone else in the family has them – like Bellatrix or Druella." _

"_Come on, Dora," said the woman a bit more firmly, as if hearing those names pained her. "We're going." _

_The girl hugged the giggling baby on the carpet and skipped to the redheaded lady. _

"_Bye, Harry, bye, Auntie Lily!" she said cheerfully. _

'_Andy' took her hand and they walked to the fireplace. "Tonks Residence!" _

"Dora?" asked Harry confusedly.

"Yes, it's _Tonks._ Now get that wand away from my neck."

Harry didn't move. Tonks groaned.

"You used to love watching me change appearances. Do you believe I'm not a Death Eater now?"

Harry reluctantly put his wand away. "What are you doing here?"

Tonks grinned at him. "I thought you might be a bit lonely."

Harry _was_ lonely, but he didn't particularly appreciate a stranger in his room.

"So what's that about Dumbledore?" asked Harry as he took a seat on his bed.

He motioned for Tonks to do the same. She looked at him oddly.

"You didn't know? There's this group called The Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore's the creator. It was intended to be a resistance against Voldemort in the first war, but now it's just a bunch of incompetent idiots babbling about the 'grand Harry Potter'. The only _real_ wizards there are Sirius, Remus, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody and Arthur Weasley."

Harry stared at her. "Wait, Mr Weasley is there?" he noticed suddenly.

Tonks nodded. "Him and his Muggle trinkets," she said fondly.

"Then are Ron and Hermione there too?"

"Yes," replied Tonks. "Why?"

"No reason," Harry almost growled.

They talked for hours, until Tonks's shift was over. She Disapparated after promising to write to him.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Narcissa was scared. She and her son had been living in the Leaky Cauldron for a week now. Sirius still hadn't responded. She knew that he really had no reason to help her, but she hoped he would. Draco was becoming more tolerable, but fifteen years of Lucius's influence couldn't be erased in a week. She had taught him as much as she could about equality in the wizard world at Malfoy Manor, but Lucius's threats while the boy was at Hogwarts had made him cold, prejudiced and unlikeable. Still, Draco had become less stiff and snobbish, and more like a normal boy his age.

"Mother, has Lord Black sent you an answer yet?"

"No, my boy, but I'm sure he'll send one soon. If he doesn't, we're going to Black Manor – nobody uses it anymore.

"Yes, mother," replied Draco, carefully combing his hair.

Living with Lucius Malfoy had made Draco develop atelophobia – a fear of imperfection. His father had always expected him to look like a proper Heir of Malfoy. Draco did his best, but sometimes it was too much – befriending Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson instead of Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass, having to be the top student in every subject, not being able to make choices for himself. Narcissa put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't despair, my boy. We'll find a way."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Days passed uneventfully at Number 4, Privet Drive. Harry was becoming more and more stressed with each new day that came. Between the nightmares and the lack of proper letters from his friends, he was completely and utterly miserable. Two days ago, Vernon had been come home from the pub and had accidentally broken Harry's arm in a drunken rage. That surprised the Boy-Who-Lived immensely, as his uncle rarely hurt him at all. Of course, that wasn't the only thing that went wrong. He was sitting in a Muggle playground when it happened. Young children laughed and shrieked with joy. The pleasant sound was interrupting by a low rumbling. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing his Dudley and his gang had arrived. Piers, Dennis and Malcolm departed, but Dudley stayed, not wanting to miss the chance to humiliate his cousin.

"Bye, Big D!" shouted Piers.

Harry rose from the swing. "How long have you been 'Big D' then?" he asked mockingly.

Dudley spun around. "What do you want, Potter?"

Harry took a step closer to him. "I think I like 'Dinky Duddydums' and 'Duddy' better. Can I use them?"

"Shut up!"

"Don't the boys know what your mummy calls you? What about 'Dudders' and 'Popkin'? Can I use them?"

"You're going to get it, Potter!" snarled Dudley.

Harry laughed mirthlessly and took a step closer to Dudley, pulling his wand out. "Just go ahead and try," he said softly.

"You can't," stuttered Dudley. "It's not allowed!"

"Maybe they've changed the rules," Harry said mysteriously.

Dudley didn't look as confident anymore.

"What were you doing, _Duddy_?" asked Harry mockingly. "Did you beat up another ten-year-old?"

"He was asking for it!" snarled Dudley. "D'you think you're a big man, carrying that – that thing around? You can't take me on without it!"

"Whereas you need four mates to beat up a ten-year-old," said Harry.

"You're not so brave at night, are you?" started Dudley, realising the fight was lost.

"This is night, Dinky Duddydums. Night is when everything goes dark."

"I mean when you're in bed!"

"When I'm in bed?" laughed Harry. "What am I supposed to be afraid of, pillows?"

"I hear you talking in your sleep," said Dudley. "Cedric! Cedric! Don't kill him! Who's Cedric, Potter?"

Harry paled, but Dudley continued.

"Daddy, help me!" he cried mockingly. "He's going to kill me! Cedric!"

Suddenly, everything went dark. Everything had seemingly disappeared – the moon, the stars and the streetlamps. Harry shivered as he felt a familiar coldness in the air.

"Wh-What are you doing?" demanded Dudley. "Stop it!"

"Shut up, Dudley," hissed Harry. "Just keep your mouth closed."

Harry turned his head, trying to see what was going on. Meanwhile, Dudley was wailing.

"I can't see! What have you done? Make it stop!"

"Shut up, Dudley!" thundered Harry.

His wand clattered to the pavement as Dudley punched him.

"DUDLEY, YOU IDIOT!"

Harry looked frantically for his wand. "Come on... Where is it...? Lumos!"

Surprisingly, the wand lit up. Harry grabbed it quickly. Harry felt the dread inside him grow. A large, hooded, black figure was gliding toward him, towering over the two boys. _'Concentrate, Harry,'_ he heard Lupin's voice in his head.

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled.

Nothing, not even mist, appeared. Harry concentrated on his friends, Ron and Hermione. It seemed, however, that all of their adventures together had something cruel and nightmarish about them. He thought of them celebrating after a Quidditch match.

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled again.

A large, silvery stag erupted from Harry's wand. The Dementors glided away almost instantly, fading into the night. Harry confidently put his wand away, when he heard someone scold him.

"Don't put it away, boy! What if there are more of them?"

Harry spun around instantly. It was his batty, old neighbour, Arabella Figg.

"Mrs Figg," gasped Harry.

"Come on, boy, help me lift this lump."

Harry ignored her. "A-Are you a witch?" he asked bluntly.

"I'm a Squib," she said crossly. "Oh, I am going to _kill _Mundungus Fletcher! The nerve of that man, abandoning his post..."

Harry guessed Mundungus Fletcher was a part of the Order that Tonks had mentioned.

He gaped at her. Finally, he seemed to regain his senses and lifted Dudley to his feet. Together, they hobbled to 4 Privet Drive.

"Oh, my poor Diddykins!" cried Petunia. "What did you do to him, boy?"

"I didn't do anything!" defended Harry.

Dudley threw up on the doormat. Petunia shrieked and shoved them inside.

"Vernon!" cried Petunia. "Vernon, he's sick!"

"Diddy, love, tell mummy what happened," she said.

Dudley weakly raised an arm and pointed at Harry.

"Boy, did you touch my son?" growled Vernon.

"I didn't do anything!" protested Harry.

An owl swooped through the open window and dropped a letter in front of Harry.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence o__f __a Muggle._

_The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand._

_As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Mafalda Hopkirk_

_Improper Use of Magic Office_

_Ministry of Magic_

_(Taken directly from Order of the Phoenix, 'A Peck of Owls')_

Harry gaped. He had to do something. He'd run away, live on the streets. He was not going to stay with the Dursleys. He tried to run, but Vernon pulled him back by the shoulder roughly.

"Where do you think you're going?" he bellowed.

"I'm leaving," Harry said quietly, breathing heavily.

It was best not to anger Vernon when he was in such a mood.

"You're going to explain what you did to my son," said Vernon forcefully.

Then another owl soared through the window.

_Harry—_

_Dumbledore's just arrived at the Ministry and he's trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND._

_Arthur Weasley_

(Taken directly from Order of the Phoenix, 'A Peck of Owls')

Harry cursed. Dumbledore was trying to sort it all out. What did that mean? Was the Headmaster going to get in trouble because of him? Would Harry be able to keep his wand? How would Dumbledore stand up to the Ministry of Magic?

"I'm staying here," said Harry softly.

"WHO ARE ALL THOSE BLOODY OWLS FROM?" demanded Vernon.

"The first one was from the Ministry of Magic. The second was from Arthur Weasley, the man who came here last summer."

"Really?" said Vernon mockingly. "And why did the Ministry of Magic send _you _a letter?"

"Because I've been expelled," said Harry quietly.

Silence.

"Why did you get expelled, boy?" roared Vernon.

"Because I did magic," said Harry irritably.

"Aha! So you did magic on my son. Well, boy, get out of the house then!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANY MAGIC ON YOUR SON!" yelled Harry.

The row was worse than Harry could have imagined. Vernon yelled for hours, his purple face always dangerously close to Harry. Harry had tried to explain to them about the Dementors, but they wouldn't hear a word of it, convinced that he had somehow cursed Dudley. The fight ended with Harry storming up to his room. He got several more letters from the Ministry, Mr Weasley and Sirius, each telling him that his wand wouldn't be snapped, and that he should stay in his Uncle's house respectively.

TIME SKIP

Harry Potter was sitting on his bed the next day, thinking about Hogwarts. Arthur Weasley had sent him a letter telling him that he wouldn't be expelled, but that wasn't very reassuring.

"BOY," he heard Uncle Vernon yell.

Harry sighed. He didn't want a repeat of the previous day. Vernon had given him a black eye for 'hurting his Dudley'. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Harry turned to face his uncle, who was standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon?" he asked, a sarcastic edge to his tone.

"We're going out. We're in the finals for the All-England-Best-Kept-Lawn competition."

Harry rolled his eyes. He was the one who did the gardening.

"Yes, Uncle."

Vernon slammed the door and left. A couple of minutes later, a loud _CRASH _was heard, followed by an apology.

"Be quiet, Nymphadora!"

Harry snorted. It was so typical of Dora to make create chaos everywhere.

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Mad-eye!"

Harry grabbed his wand and crouched next to the door. It flew open. Harry had no idea how that had happened, but he moved on, silently moving across the floor in the dark.

Show yourselves," he said, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

"Harry?" called a familiar voice.

"Professor Lupin?" Harry asked uncertainly.

What was Lupin doing there?

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" asked a female voice.

Suddenly, all the lights were switched on. Harry eyed the group. Next to Professor Lupin was a young woman with shoulder-length pink hair. In front of her stood a man with a wooden peg, a magical eye that was constantly moving and several scars across his face. Harry recognised him. It was Alastor Moody – the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher who had been locked in his own trunk and impersonated by a Death Eater. Behind him was a tall, dark-skinned man with a purple cloak and an earring. Harry couldn't see the rest too well, but he could vaguely make out a woman dressed entirely in green, an old man with grey hair and blue eyes, a grinning man in a top hat, a young woman with black hair and a stocky man with straw-coloured hair.

"Put your wand down, boy, so I can see you," growled Moody. "And come here."

Harry went down the stairs. Lupin shook his hand.

"How do we know it's really him? Check, Lupin."

Lupin smiled fondly at the grizzled Auror.

"Harry, what form does your Patronus take?"

"Uh, a stag, sir," said Harry.

"It's him," confirmed Lupin.

Lupin quickly introduced him to the rest of the group. "You already know Alastor Moody. That's Nymphadora-,"

"I know," said Harry.

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "How –?" he asked.

"Uh, Sirius told me about her," he said, trying to cover up his blunder.

That's Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones, Deadalus Diggle, Elphias Doge and Kingsley Shacklebolt," said Lupin, pointing to each person in turn.

Moody stared at Harry. "What happened to your eye, boy?"

"I got into a fight with my cousin, sir," Harry lied smoothly.

"Come on then, Harry, I'll help you pack," said Tonks.

Once they finished packing, they left the house.

"You're lucky the Dursley's aren't here," Harry told them.

Tonks snorted. "Lucky? I'm the one who sent that letter."

Harry stared at her in awe. He had no idea she could forge letters.

"Alright," growled Moody, "Enough talking, mount your brooms."

The Advanced Guard did as they were told.

"Remember, if one of us gets killed, stay in formation. Don't break the ranks!"

Harry bit his lip. Was someone else going to die because of him?

Tonks, in an attempt to lighten the mood, winked at Harry. "Don't be so cheerful, Mad-eye, or he'll think that we're not taking this seriously."

Once they took off, Harry had wished he had taken a jumper. He was frozen to his broom.

"We're ought to fly through the clouds for better concealment," suggested Moody.

"Are you mad, Mad-eye? We'll get soaked!" protested Tonks.

She was flying in front of Harry. Lupin was underneath them, Moody behind him and the rest circling them. For a while, the ride was uneventful.

"We should double back a bit to make sure we're not being followed," Moody later suggested.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, MAD-EYE? WE'RE FREEZING TO DEATH! IT'LL TAKE US A WEEK TO GET THERE IF WE KEEP GOING OFF COURSE!" Tonks yelled.

Thankfully, the group was saved by their arrival at Grimmauld Place. Harry blinked. The note he had been given clearly said that the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix could be found at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. But there was no Number 12. Right next to Number 11 was Number 13.

"Think about what you just memorised," said Lupin.

Suddenly, a house started growing between Numbers 11 and 13, seemingly pushing the other houses to the sides. The Advanced Guard entered the house.

"Welcome, Harry," said Lupin, "To the Noble and most Ancient House of Black."

A/N: Should Bellatrix aid her sisters in later chapters in a nice, maybe-not-so happy, completely insane reunion, or should she be the canon villainess everyone loves to hate?


	2. The House of Black

A/N: Sorry if Harry seems weaker in this chapter than in canon. I just love the idea of Sirius having an active role in his life. :) I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING EARLIER!

KeegSlytherin – Thanks! I wish I had thought of that earlier...

QUESTION: Should Bellatrix ally with her sister, or with Voldemort? Answers would be greatly appreciated :)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own my OCs.

The House of Black

(The Homecoming)

Sirius heard Tonks trip over the troll's leg. It meant they had arrived. He bounded to the front door.

"YOU!" yelled Walburga. "FILTHY TRAITOR, HOW DARE YOU ENTER THE NOBLE HOUSE OF MY ANCESTORS? SCUM! FILTH! SHAME OF MY FLESH! YOU HAVE DISGRACED THE FAMILY NAME!"

Sirius quickly pulled the curtains in front of the portrait.

"Shut up!" he yelled back at her.

"Sorry," mumbled Tonks.

Sirius waved the apology off. Then he turned to his godson. "Harry," he laughed, hugging the boy tightly.

Harry grinned and leaned his head on Sirius's shoulder. "Hello, Sirius."

Once they pulled away from each other, Molly made to usher Harry upstairs. "Go on, dear. Ron and Hermione are there – second door on the left. The meeting will be over in a couple of minutes and then we'll have dinner."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that. Fred and George had told him about the Order of the Phoenix. Why didn't Mrs Weasley want him to know what they were talking about? Had he not been the one who had dueled Voldemort in the graveyard?

"Actually, Molly," said Sirius, eying Harry. "I wanted to talk to my godson for a moment."

Molly looked shocked. "But, Sirius, there's an Order meeting in progress. Your attendance is mandatory."

Sirius looked thoroughly unimpressed with her. "It's not like I do anything for the Order, anyway," he said bitterly.

He put a hand on Harry's shoulder and led him to one of the unused guest rooms. Once Sirius had closed the door and lit the candles in the room, Harry began asking questions. "Where are we, Sirius? Why didn't Ron and Hermione tell me anything? Why is there a yelling portrait in the corridor? Who is that woman?"

Sirius held up a hand to stop him, noticing with no little amount of anger that his godson flinched slightly when he did so. If Dursley had touched his godson...

"Harry," he began gently. "We are in my childhood home, The House of Black. Your friends didn't contact you because Dumbledore ordered them not to. And lastly, the charming woman you just saw is my mother."

Harry gaped at him. "Y-Your w-what?" he asked.

Realising what he had said, the young boy blushed. "Sorry, Sirius."

Sirius chuckled. "It's alright, Harry, I don't like her much, either."

All traces of mirth left Sirius's face. "Harry, what happened to your eye?"

Harry swallowed audibly. He didn't want to lie to Sirius, but he couldn't say anything about what had happened... He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Did your uncle do this?" asked Sirius gently.

It made sense – the pale complexion, the occasional flinching, the bruise...

Harry nodded ever so slightly. Sirius shook with fury, but tried to hide it for his godson's sake.

"Why didn't you write to me?"

"Because I'm supposed to defeat Voldemort! How am I going to kill him if I can't even stand up to a bloody Muggle?"

Sirius frowned. "Firstly, Harry, you are not going to face Voldemort. There is an entire army dedicated to the cause. Secondly, it doesn't matter how powerful you are, Dursley is your guardian – he's supposed to protect you. You're not even allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts. This didn't happen because you're weak, Harry. You're a strong, brave boy and as your godfather, I love you."

Harry's eyes widened in shock. He wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Nobody had ever said that to him before. Yes, he knew Ron and Hermione loved him, but none of the Golden Trio members had said it out loud. Finally, he managed to hug Sirius. He pulled away after some time, sniffling slightly. He blushed and tried to stammer out a question.

"Sirius?" Harry tried.

His godfather looked up. "What is it, Harry?" he asked softly.

"If-If I'm e-e-expelled from H-Hogwarts, can I live w-with you?"

Sirius smiled slightly. "You won't be expelled. Arthur will make sure of that. But if you are, then I will never let you go back to those Dursleys. You're going to stay here."

He carded his hand through his godson's hair.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Harry was glaring at his two friends. "Why didn't you write to me?" he demanded.

Hermione looked pained. "We're sorry, Harry, but Dumbledore-,"

Harry cut her off. "Dumbledore told you not to give me information about the Order. You wrote nothing but short notes!" his voice was steadily rising. "I WAS STUCK IN THE MUGGLE WORLD FOR A MONTH! I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON! I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE VOLDEMORT WAS! NO, I WAS STUCK WITH THE DURSLEYS FOR FOUR WEEKS! AND YOU WERE HERE TOGETHER!" He didn't care how pathetic and spoiled he sounded, Harry had never been this angry before. He stormed down the stairs, running into Fred and George.

"Hello, Harry," said Fred.

"You're rather cheerful today," observed George.

"Don't keep it bottled it," added Fred.

George nodded. "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you!"

Harry rolled his eyes at them and nodded toward the locked kitchen door. "What are they talking about?" he asked.

The twins shrugged.

"You see, dear Harry," said George.

"We aren't allowed it," finished Fred.

"So we made these products," said George.

"Called Extendable Ears," exclaimed Fred happily.

Harry stared at them. "Extendable Ears?" he questioned suspiciously.

They nodded. "Here," they said, handing him a skin-coloured pieced of string.

Before Harry could hear anything, the string was jerked roughly from him "What was that?" he asked.

Fred and George scowled. It really didn't suit them.

"Bloody cat," muttered Fred.

"It's Crookshanks," said George. "He keeps pulling them."

Harry frowned. He made to leave the dark corridor, but Ginny appeared in front of him.

"Hey, Harry," she greeted cheerfully.

"Ginny," replied Harry. "It's good to see you."

"Tonks told me how to tell where the charm is placed!" she said proudly.

Fred and George nodded approvingly. That would make eavesdropping much easier.

Kreacher suddenly appeared in front of them, making the four Hogwarts students jump.

"Kreacher is telling young masters to go to the kitchen for dinner," he said, bowing lowly.

Kreacher was surprisingly articulate for a House Elf, Harry noticed.

"Wow," muttered Fred.

"It actually spoke civilly to us!" exclaimed George.

Harry looked at them curiously, but they waved him off. The three Weasleys and Harry made their way to the kitchen. Ron and Hermione were already there. Apart from the Weasleys, the only Order members who would stay for dinner were Kingsley, Tonks and Remus. The occupants of Grimmauld Place made to sit down at the table once the noise had subsided. Tonks narrowed her eyes.

"Sirius, why aren't you sitting at the head?" she asked.

"Why would he?" asked Hermione.

"Muggle patriarchs always sit at the head," Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, but no one does this in the Wizard World," said Ron.

Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they do. I come from a light family and we always did that."

Sirius shrugged and moved toward the head. Tonks may be childish and immature, but she was still Andromeda's daughter and could be quite cunning when she wanted to. He knew she was trying to help him – sitting at the head would show the Order that he was, indeed, the owner of the house, and they could not order him around. It would show authority and make him look more like the lord he was.

"Harry, as my heir, you are to sit at my immediate right, while Tonks, as closest and only blood relative present, is to sit at my left."

Ron and Hermione gaped.

"Really, Sirius," cried Hermione, "Don't tell me you follow all that supremacist pureblood ideology!"

Remus smiled slightly. "It's not pureblood ideology, Hermione, it's a Lord's duty to keep the family well and strong."

"Yeah, but everyone knows the Blacks only follow dark traditions!" exclaimed Ron.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"He's right, Sirius! It's time you stopped thinking of the Black family as the rulers of Magical Britain. We're not in the sixteenth century anymore, Blacks have lost their power," defended Hermione.

Molly's eyes widened. "That's enough out of both of you! Sirius has graciously welcomed us into his home, there's no reason to be rude!"

Hermione blushed, while Ron rolled his eyes.

Sirius bowed his head in thanks. "Thank you, Molly."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

After dinner, Harry went directly to bed. He was exhausted. However, the young wizard didn't get much rest, due to his nightmares. For the first time in months, it wasn't about Cedric or Voldemort. It was something, or rather someone, he had never seen before.

_Harry was in a place he didn't recognise. It was beautiful. He could vaguely make out a forest of pine trees swaying in the distance. A clean, clear river ran across the forest. He realised he was standing on a grassy field, on which the only visible buildings were a collection of stone cottages. Harry, much to his chagrin, was no longer in control of his body. He walked across the field unwillingly, his body calmly strolling along the noisy river. There, sat a boy with an old picture in his hands. His shaggy, straw-coloured hair fell into his clear blue eyes. He was a slight boy, his skin pale and his face dirty. The boy didn't seem to notice him. Harry walked over to him and knelt beside him, trying to get a look at the picture the boy had left on the grassy ground beneath them. There were four young children there – the boy in Harry's dream, another boy with curly brown hair and dark eyes that sparkled with mischief, a girl with dark brown hair and sparkling eyes and, finally, a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. Harry looked up to ask the boy his name, but the connection was severed. _

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

A young boy, no older than thirteen years old, sat on a tree stump in the woods, reflecting on the first time he had wandered through this forest, the first time he had seen this river, the first time he had felt the cool breeze blowing through the trees. With a contented smile, he lay on the grassy ground, gazing at the millions of bright stars that were scattered across the night sky. The boy sighed heavily. He remembered, just three years ago, how his life had been turned upside down by the woman he had come to see as a mother figure. His smile suddenly disappeared, remembering the dream he had had the last night. Normally, he wouldn't waste his precious time pondering the meaning of his dreams, but this one hadn't been just a dream, that he was sure of. It had been a vision. Dreams were never this vivid. The image of a teenage boy staring at a gravestone hadn't left his mind all day. Gaius couldn't remember the name on the gravestone, but he knew it was of somebody dear to the boy – he could tell by his expression of longing. Then, a woman with curly black hair and stormy grey eyes reminiscent to those of Gaius's close friend, James Crowe, entered the scene and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, looking tired and worn. Then, a jet of green light clouded Gaius's vision. When he regained it, he was underwater, drowning. Seeing his own death startled Gaius more than he liked to admit.

The young boy was so lost in his thoughts; he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

"Gaius?" called a gentle female voice. "Why don't you go back home, love? It is getting rather late."

The boy – Gaius, stood up and brushed the leaves and dirt out of his straw-coloured hair. He looked up at the figure.

"Mistress," he greeted his mentor quietly, respectfully.

Bowing slightly, Gaius moved closer to her.

"Mistress, I had a vision last night," he said urgently.

Morgana stayed silent. Gaius was young, but he was terribly powerful.

"Do not trouble yourself by dwelling on those dreams, child. You shall tell me in the morning, for it is late now and we never know if it is truly safe to speak, here in the dead of the night, when the creatures even we cannot see hear our every word. Get some sleep, for tomorrow the Elders await us,"

Gaius nodded slightly. They would have to meet the Elders at dawn to be granted the Quest – a suicide mission that only the best magicians managed to complete. It was organised by the High King or Queen every seven months – a tradition that had begun during the Renaissance. The wizards who would be going on the Quest – a mentor and an apprentice, were voted by the civilians. The horrible part was that whether or not the magician would do the mission was decided by the Lord of the mentor's family, meaning there was no way of them getting out of that situation, for Morgana's uncle was truly a brute. He sighed dejectedly. Morgana put a hand on his shoulder and led him to his cottage. She stopped in front of the stone building and hugged him closely, tears stinging in her eyes. She hated her uncle for allowing the Quest! She didn't know what the Elders would ask of them, but she swore she would do everything in her power to protect the boy she had taken care of for years. Gaius had no idea how quickly his life was going to change.

"Goodnight, my apprentice," she whispered as they reached their tower. "And do take care of yourself."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Ron was furious. Who did Sirius think he was? How dare he try to turn Harry dark like that? What was up with him? Why was he suddenly acting like a stuck-up pureblood git? Ron huffed and flopped down on his bed. He would show them! Ron fell into a dreamless sleep. Little did he know, his life was going to change drastically.

In the next room, Hermione was having similar, yet admittedly slightly more intelligent thoughts. Why was Sirius acting like this? Her only plausible excuse was that the Tonks, childish as ever, was a bad influence on him. She noticed that Harry had been acting oddly lately. She and Ron needed to help him before the two Blacks destroyed him completely. She wondered if he was still angry at them. It wasn't her fault that Dumbledore told her not to write to him! After all, no matter how close they were, Dumbledore was the headmaster, he was always right. She couldn't disobey him.

The third and final member of the Golden Trio, who had been asked by his godfather to choose a room which he would not be required to share, was, once again, being plagued by nightmares. He was not in the strange land anymore, being mentally tortured by a small boy, but in the now familiar graveyard.

"_You have been taught how to duel, Harry Potter?" _

_Harry felt his feet lift from the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wand still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They glided away from the tombstone..._

"_Your father's coming... Hold on for your father... It will be alright... Hold on..."_

"_Harry, take my body back, will you? Take my body back to my parents..." _

Harry woke up, sweating and shaking. Once again, he rose from his bed and headed toward the kitchen for a cup of tea. This time, it was not Draco who was sitting there, but Sirius. Harry looked up at his godfather. "Sirius?" he called out softly. Sirius, who had been nursing a glass of firewhiskey, looked up concernedly.

"Harry," he said. "What are you doing here?"

Harry sighed. "I couldn't sleep," he mumbled.

Sirius frowned. "Nightmares?" he asked softly.

Harry nodded.

Sirius motioned for him to sit on the chair next to him. Harry sat down, hunched over with his head lowered.

"What was it about?" Sirius asked gently, his stormy grey eyes surveying his godson worriedly. He watched the young boy carefully, noticing how he bit his lip and hesitantly raised his head to look up at him.

"Cedric," he mumbled hoarsely.

Sirius leaned forward and hugged his godson tightly, trying to ignore how the young boy tensed at the contact. "It's alright, my brave little boy," he soothed. "They can't hurt you here. You're safe. Voldemort can't reach you. You'll never have to fight him again."

Harry let out a strangled sob. Sirius pulled back.

"What happened wasn't your fault. You know that, right?"

Harry bit his lip, choosing to remain silent.

"Oh, Harry," mumbled Sirius, pulling him back into a hug. "It was not your fault. You were only a victim in all of this."

Harry shook his head. "If I hadn't suggested we take the cup together..." he trailed off.

Sirius held up a hand to stop him. "Harry, did you know Voldemort was going to be there? Did you know that the trophy was a portkey? Did you curse Cedric?"

Harry shook his head. "What does that –,"

"Then how could it be your fault?" asked Sirius gently.

Harry considered that. "I'm the one he wanted to kill," he whispered finally.

"And what did I tell you about being the victim? It was very noble of you to share your victory with another boy, Harry. You're only fifteen. You're not supposed to defeat the darkest wizard of the last five decades."

Harry's eyes then wandered to the picture that lay on the table. It was of a much younger Sirius with his arms around a woman who held a small bundle in her arms. Harry's eyes widened. He recognised them very well – they were in many of the pictures Hagrid had given him in his first year.

"Sirius, is that –," he trailed off.

Sirius nodded, "Marlene and my little son, Regulus."

Harry stared at the picture. That was another family Voldemort had torn apart. He remembered what Hagrid had told him four years ago: _'No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age – the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts...'_

"Can you tell me about her?" Harry asked suddenly.

Sirius looked up, shocked. Finally, seeming to register his godson's words, he nodded slowly. "Of course," he said.

Harry smiled slightly and shifted toward Sirius, who took a deep breath.

"Marlene was a wonderful woman, Harry. She was just... perfect. In first year, she, your mother, Dorcas Meadowes and Fiona Donnelly, who were also in their dorm, had formed a group to rival the Marauders."

Sirius chuckled slightly. "Marlene was a true Gryffindor. She was brave, fierce, ill-tempered, proud of her house, proud of her family and background, noble... She never hesitated to help anyone in need. She'd give us – the Marauders – hell, because Lily despised us in the beginning. She thought James was a prat."

Sirius chuckled weakly again. Harry was surprised to learn that his parents once disliked each other.

"Anyway, Marlene, Lily, Alice, Emmeline Vance, Fiona and Dorcas were the Gryffindor girls in our year. Emmeline was the quiet girl – she never liked getting involved in Alice and Fiona's crazy schemes. I really started liking Marlene in third year. We went to Hogsmeade as two good Gryffindor friends that year – your dad never let me live that one down. Then, my overprotective cousin, Andromeda, actually threated Marlene..."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that. Sirius continued.

"After we left Hogwarts, Marlene and I got married on the seventh of August – a month after Lily and James. She was made godfather to Fiona's son, Seamus. I think Fiona married a bloke named Patrick Finnigan or something."

"She was Seamus's godmother?" exclaimed Harry, surprised.

He never thought his and his dorm mates' parents had been so close. Sirius looked at him curiously.

"Seamus Finnigan is a Gryffindor in my year," explained Harry.

Sirius smiled at that. "Lily and James were made Alice's son's – Neville's – godparents. Your godmother, Harry, is my first cousin – Andromeda Tonks."

"Wait, Tonks?" asked Harry. "Dora's mum?"

Sirius nodded. "I'm surprised you're still getting away with calling her that," he said, impressed.

Harry laughed lightly. "So she's my godmother?"

Sirius nodded again. "I was planning on inviting her to the Order – I really missed her and I thought you had to meet her. I figured I could use the excuse that the Order needs a qualified Healer."

Harry smiled broadly. He checked his timepiece – it read 4.50. Dawn would be coming any minute.

"Harry," said Sirius suddenly. "You need to start lessons."

"Lessons?" he asked. "What lessons, Sirius?"

"Well, I've heard you're a bit behind in your studies. Plus, you need to learn Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, etiquette, duelling, magical creatures, Pureblood formalities among other things. Don't worry, I hate Pureblood studies too, but they can help you in the future. Like when you want to blackmail Malfoy," he winked at Harry.

They talked for a couple of minutes, until dawn came and Grimmauld Place's occupants started waking.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

After ten long, humiliating days at the Leaky Cauldron, Narcissa could finally see an impressive owl soaring toward her. Impatiently, she grabbed the letter and tore the envelope.

_Narcissa, _

_Firstly, cut the formalities. Fortunately or unfortunately, we're cousins. Now, I have absolutely no reason to accept you into my home – I hope you know that. I'm doing this for Andy's sake. She's going to be there and I demand civility in my home. If your son cannot keep away from my godson, then expect to find yourselves back at the inn. I will expect you._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Black_

With a sigh of relief, Narcissa clutched the letter to her chest. Then she remembered that sentence: _She's going to be there. _Andromeda. Her sister. Her sister would be there. They hadn't seen each other in nineteen years.

"Draco," called Narcissa. "Come here."

"Yes, mother?"

"Get your things. We will be going to 12 Grimmauld Place in the Borough of Islington. This is where Lord Black resides currently. Now, I have to tell you, my disowned sister – your aunt Andromeda – will be there and so will be Harry Potter."

Draco opened his mouth to protest, but his mother cut him off.

"You will be respectful to both of them. Sirius Black threatened to force us to leave if we disturbed his godson."

"Of course," sneered Draco, "Perfect Potter can't be touched."

"Draco, you will refrain from making such comments in Lord Black's presence. He will most likely have made the boy his heir."

"Fine," spat Draco.

Narcissa nodded. "We will be leaving at midday."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

"Now, Harry," said Sirius. "This is called a Head's ring. It isn't quite like a Lord's ring, but it's enough to provide you with a certain level of Occlumency and it marks your power as a member of a Noble and most Ancient House. You cannot get your Lord's ring yet, since you are not of age."

Harry nodded in understanding. He frowned. "What's Occlumency?"

Sirius ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "Occlumency is the art of protecting oneself against intruders who wish to use magic to enter your thoughts."

"Wait, you mean people can _read my mind_?" Harry asked incredulously.

Sirius grimaced and nodded. "I will teach you advanced Occlumency later on. The art of entering one's mind is called Legilimency."

"So this ring will keep my thoughts private?"

"Yes," confirmed Sirius.

With a smile, Harry slid the ring on his finger. A red glow surrounded him, and faded as quickly as it appeared.

"W-What was that?"

"Well, you know how there are nine main pureblood families, right? Well, each of them had a job back in medieval times. Each of them also had a colour that represented them. I can give you a full list later. Potters – the knights – were given the colour red, because of their red cloaks. The colours mean that the family magic has accepted the witch or wizard willing to take control, or become a part of, the family. The ring has accepted you as Head Potter."

Harry stared at him in awe. Before he could say anything, Sirius started talking again.

"Tomorrow, we will start the lessons. I can't teach you etiquette, mostly because I never paid much attention to it myself, but Andromeda was quite pleased to do so."

Harry nodded and went to bed, too tired to do anything else.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

James Crowe was sitting by the fireplace in his room, frowning at the crackling flames, as if they had done him a great injustice. He was thinking about what Lady McKinnon had told him. Morgana Townne, along with her apprentice, had been chosen to complete the Quest. James had complete faith in them – they were powerful, brave and cunning. They would make it through, he was positive. He knew that the magicians going on the quest were allowed to choose as many allies as they pleased. It was not part of the tradition, but as many civilians had complained about having to go alone, the High King, or Queen He wondered idly if Gaius would choose him. It was doubtful. There were so many better swordsmen and duellists than him. Just then, James's older brother, Luke, ran inside the room, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Hey, Jamie, the Elders want to speak to us immediately."

Luke looked nothing like his brother. While James had short black hair, Luke's hair was messy, long and blond, a couple of sailors' braids prominent in his thick locks. James's skin was pale and he was fairly muscular, for he worked in the forges all day, while Luke had a healthy tan acquired from working outside at the boatyard. James's eyes were a stormy grey and his brother's – a forest green. James nodded in acceptance.

"Untie those braids from your hair, Luke. You cannot possibly see the royal family like this," he said exasperatedly.

Luke was such a fool! Luke shrugged carelessly and left the cottage.

"We're going to be late for the meeting, little brother," he said, not heeding his brother's words.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Please take a seat. I have summoned you here today to inform you that Heiress Morgana Townne and her apprentice, Gaius Northwind, have requested you as allies for their upcoming quest. If you choose to accept the Quest, you will be working with Lady Marlene McKinnon and her heir Regulus Black, both of which have already accepted to go on the glorious journey to the blessed land that was once known as Camelot."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

"Have you packed, Draco?" asked Narcissa.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She was _not _worried about seeing her sister. She was _not _scared Sirius could kick them out.

"I'm ready, mum," said Draco.

Narcissa had to smile at that. _Mum, _she thought. Draco hadn't called her that since he had been six years old. It had always been 'mother.' Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that he'd walk the path of grey instead of following the dark. Narcissa didn't want her son to become a perfect little supporter of Albus Dumbledore. She trusted him even less than the Dark Lord.

"Let's go, then," she sighed.

She put an arm around his shoulders and with a wave of her spruce and Thestral hair wand, they appeared in the dark, silent street. _It hasn't changed much, _mused Narcissa. The streetlamps were still filthy and broken. The houses were unoccupied – the wood of their doors growing mouldy, the curtains were infested with moths and the windows were cracked, or in some cases, completely shattered. Draco sneered slightly.

"_This _is where Lord Black lives?" he asked disgustedly.

"Quiet, Draco," hissed Narcissa. "You will treat Lord Black like any other Lord you have met. You will not talk to him unless you are spoken to, you will keep your answers curt and polite, you will not show emotion around him, you will not make any unnecessary comments or remarks about him or the company he keeps and you will look presentable around him at all times.

"Yes, mother, I know the rules," said Draco, returning to his old, 'perfect pureblood' self.

Narcissa nodded and stalked up the stairs to Grimmauld Place. She didn't believe these 'rules' were right, and she knew Sirius didn't either, but it was best to be safe. She placed her right palm on the snake-shaped door knocker. It opened momentarily. She stepped inside, motioning for her son to follow her.

"Sirius," she called loudly and authoritatively.

Draco rolled his eyes. _Yes, mother, _he thought sarcastically. _Acting like you own the house will definitely make you appear likeable to Lord Black. _

A man with shoulder-length black hair, steel grey eyes, pale skin and pronounced cheekbones appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, Narcissa, Draco, I see you're here," he said curtly, somewhat distastefully. "I will get a House Elf to help you with your things."

"Kreacher!" he called.

The battered elf appeared and bowed to Narcissa. "Mistress Narcissa is back," it said excitedly. "How can Kreacher help master Narcissa?"

"Kreacher," snapped Sirius. "Stop sucking up to every pureblood that enters the house and take your beloved mistress's belongings to the spare bedrooms."

"Come," said Sirius to his relatives, and turned toward the kitchen.

He couldn't believe he had agreed to this. He was Sirius Black! He had been ostracised by the pureblood community, he had been disowned! He couldn't house two Death Eaters! Curse that McGonagall for convincing him to do it! Just then, Andromeda rose from her seat where she was talking with Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys and walked toward her sister.

"It's been a long time, Narcissa."


	3. Winds of Change

DISCLAIMER: Must I post this on _every _chapter? I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Whom should dearest Bella side with? Pleeeeaaaseeee tell me! Enjoy the chapter and please remember, reviews would be greatly appreciated. :)

Chapter Three: Winds of Change

Narcissa swallowed audibly. "Indeed, it has, sister."

Andromeda stared at her sister. She wanted to hate her. She wanted to tell her to leave and never come back. She wanted to yell at her, to curse her. But she couldn't.

"Why?" she asked finally. "Why, Narcissa?"

The younger witch opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. "I—Andromeda, I – I couldn't, I mean, I didn't want to..."

"Didn't want to what?" demanded Andromeda, "Abandon me? Put a hand in my disownment? AID THE WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL MY ONLY DAUGHTER?" WHAT DIDN'T YOU MEAN TO DO, NARCISSA? TELL ME!"

Hermione and the Weasleys shrunk back, feeling Andromeda's magic swirl around her. Harry, however, felt a sense of safety. He knew this was familiar magic. He knew it was a magic that wouldn't harm him – it was on his side and it always would be.

"YOU AND SIRIUS HAD ALREADY LEFT!" yelled Narcissa. "IF I HAD GONE AFTER YOU, THEY'D HAVE KILLED US ALL INSTEAD OF LETTING A THIRD GET DISOWNED. I HAD AN INFANT SON AT HOME! DO YOU THINK I'D LEAVE HIM WITH LUCIUS MALFOY FOR _ANY REASON?_"

"Yet you never bothered writing, you never even came to see me after you were of age."

"Have you any idea what Lucius would have done, had he found out I was visiting my blood-traitor sister and half-blood niece? He'd kill me and you. He'd kill our children. He's a powerful man, Andy. He's not just a useless slimeball that sucks up to powerful people – he's cunning and dangerous. Forgive me, sister, please."

"Why did you stay with him?" asked Andromeda hollowly.

Narcissa frowned. "He... He threatened me."

She suppressed a shudder as she remembered her former husband. He had never been gentle, in the eighteen years they had been married. He had been clumsy, but Narcissa had put up with the pain to please her parents. Lucius had wanted a son so badly, a son who had come forcedly, a son Narcissa never meant to have... She had wanted another child after siring Draco, but Lucius had never allowed it.

Andromeda couldn't stay mad at her sister. _Curse those bloody genes, _she thought. _Even Sirius can be evil when he wants to! _

"I, uh, very well, Narcissa. All is forgiven."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Morgana stood at the Gates of Avalon with her Quest group, ready to leave for the legendary Camelot, which now lay in ruins. It was their duty to destroy the beasts that inhabited those noble lands. Marlene tightened her grip on the sword that was sheathed at her side, remembering the Hydra Morgana had saved her from. Regulus laid his head on her shoulder, trying to offer her some comfort, despite the fact that he did not know what was worrying her. James and Luke stood on either side of Morgana. The mood was tense, but they couldn't help but feel excited for the adventure. Gaius was standing in front of Regulus, regarding the group curiously. Morgana was completely miserable. She had dragged not only her apprentice into this mess, but also her best friend and the two boys she had raised. Regulus was wondering if he could somehow lead them to this mysterious 'Harry'. If Sirius was his godfather, then he could help them. Regulus desperately wanted to meet his father, for the only thing he remembered was a loving smile, a gentle touch. Marlene was having similar thoughts. She wanted to see her dear, sweet husband again. She wanted to speak to him one last time. She wanted him, as Lord of the House of Black, to stop this insane Quest, for only then could they be a proper family.

"Shall we get going?" asked Morgana softly.

The group nodded, some more excitedly than others. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Morgana, in particular, was unwillingly replaying different memories in her mind.

_Seven-year-old Luke Crowe was sitting on her lap with a plush phoenix in his small hands. Then the magical bird, from a fiery red colour, turned a royal purple. _

"_Look, mummy!" laughed Luke. _

_Morgana could only stare in shock at the small boy. He seemed to realise what he had said, because he blushed a bright red colour and turned away from her, no longer meeting her eyes. Morgana hugged him tightly._

"_I love you, dear child. I love you so much, my boy – my little son." _

It had taken James a little longer to get used to her, but eventually, he, like his brother, had also begun referring to her as that.

The next memory was her worst one. The echoes of screams and cries of pain still haunted her at night, ten years later.

_Morgana was running through the green hills of Donegal, praying she was wrong, that Seamus and Aoife Crowe weren't dead. They couldn't be! Of course, Morgana knew she was only kidding herself. They were at war – the greatest, longest, bloodiest war in magical history. It was a wonder they had made it this far. The magical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Egypt, France and Serbia were allies, defending themselves, their homes, their families and their land from the enemies – Holland, Japan, Germany, Denmark and the United States. The resistance, as they called themselves, knew it was a lost cause. Their enemies were much stronger than them. They had no chance, which was why Morgana, better known as Igraine in Donegal, was feeling completely dead inside. The letter she had been sent had been right. The Crowe family were gone. Dead. Explosions could be heard left and right. Haunting screams echoed in Morgana's mind. _

_Coward! Let go of my wife! Turn around and fight me like a man, you filthy brute!" _

"_Savage! Barbarian! Kill me instead! Leave my family alone!"_

"_My son! My poor, precious son is gone! GONE, I TELL YOU! HE'S DEAD!" _

_Morgana finally reached their house. She stopped abruptly, staring at it in fear and a certain amount of morbid fascination. It had completely gone up in flames. Morgana stretched out her hand and summoned as much water as she possibly could, blasting the house with an enormous wave, careful not to destroy it. The fire had now died, but there was no way her close friends were alive. Morgana choked back a sob and ran inside. _

"_Aoife!" she yelled. "Aoife, where are you?" _

_Naturally, no reply came. Morgana's breathing became rapid, heavy and uneven as she looked around for her friend. _

"_Seamus?" she called, her voice cracking with emotion. _

_A pained wailing was heard from the other room. Morgana rushed inside, not caring if it was a trap. There, she saw a baby James holding on to his brother. Both of them were, remarkably, alive and well, apart from the burns and scars that marked Luke's skin. Morgana blinked once. Twice. They were alive. How had they done it? James remained unscarred. She bit her lip. It was not the time to ponder on the magical abilities of her best friends' son. She picked up both boys and ran across the once green and beautiful lanes and disappeared into the night. _

Morgana was forcibly pulled back to reality by Marlene calling her name.

"Are you alright, Morgana? You seemed... distracted."

"I'm fine, Marlene. Let us carry on."

And so they did. They traveled until dusk, until they finally found what they deemed a safe place to stay for the night.

"I'll take first watch," offered Marlene.

Morgana smiled gratefully at her and proceeded to see that the four boys were safe and armed. The five of them quickly fell asleep, each lost in their own nightmares.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Harry blushed when Narcissa attempted to engage him in a civil conversation. He distinctly remembered himself insulting her in front of Draco... Nevertheless, Narcissa didn't seem to be holding any grudge – she participated in conversations with her cousins and the Weasleys, while her son stood at the side somewhat awkwardly, not glaring or sneering, rather just looking upset.

"So, I remember what those two were like in our school days," said Sirius, his eyes gleaming with mirth.

Ted chuckled, while Andromeda and Narcissa had the good grace to blush.

"Shut up, Sirius," grumbled Andromeda.

Sirius mock sniffed. "Do you not feel regret?" he asked dramatically. "Poor Teddy here tried to flirt with you all the time and you never paid him any attention."

"I still married him, didn't I?" retorted Andromeda.

Thankfully, that shut her cousin up. Narcissa smiled slightly. She remembered a tall, stocky boy in black robes and a yellow tie trying to make her cousin notice him. She'd always reject him, until Sirius's Sorting in her sixth year. That was when he had changed. Andromeda, unlike Narcissa, had never been anti-Muggle, but had had the typical Black arrogance.

Just then, the Floo Network came to life, a green glow alerting the occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place that an Order member had arrived. It was Remus. His sandy hair greying, his brown eyes kind as ever, he stepped inside the kitchen, politely greeting its residents. Sirius clapped him on the back.

"How was the mission, Moony?"

Remus smiled. "It went well, thank you," he said mildly.

He looked over to the newest 'members.' Trying to suppress not only his curiosity, but also his rage at seeing Narcissa Malfoy, he smiled politely.

"I don't believe we've met? I'm Remus Lupin."

Narcissa stood up. "Narcissa Black," she said. "It's a pleasure, Mr Lupin."

"Likewise, madam," replied Remus neutrally. "Have you divorced Lord Malfoy?"

"Yes," she answered. "I believe you have been acquainted with my son, Draco?"

Remus struggled to hide his displeasure. "Indeed."

He then turned to Andromeda. "Andy," he greeted warmly. "It's been a long time."

Andromeda smiled at him and shook his hand. "So it has, Remus. Trust me, Dora has not forgotten you."

Sirius, who was very fond of Tonks, had offered to babysit her on several occasions when they were younger. However, knowing that her cousin was well-meaning, but reckless, Andromeda had asked Remus to go with him. Remus, not being the one for letting people down, had readily agreed.

"Ah, Ted!" said Remus. "We haven't met in years."

Ted clapped the smaller man on the back. "Where've you been, mate?"

Remus merely sighed. "Here, there," he answered vaguely.

He took a seat by Harry, ruffling the boy's hair. "How are you doing, Harry?"

Said boy smiled slightly. "I'm alright, Professor Lupin."

Remus greeted the rest in turn – Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Draco.

"Say, Andromeda," he said. "What brings you here?"

"The Order needed a proper Healer."

"You didn't even have a Healer?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

Remus sighed. "Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it. He said Poppy was qualified enough."

Narcissa looked murderous. "Poppy?" she asked. "Not Poppy Pomfrey?"

"Her," said Ted with slight distaste.

Andromeda scowled.

"Do you at least have a Potions Master?" she demanded.

This time, it was Sirius who looked bitter. "Snape," he grumbled.

Andromeda laughed at his expression.

"You never change, Siri. Give the poor man a break."

"What?" asked Hermione. "What's wrong with Madam Pomfrey?"

"What isn't?" asked Narcissa hotly.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "Poppy's a lovely woman, but she's only a Medi-witch. She isn't a fully qualified Healer."

"Please," sniffed Narcissa. "The only reason she's working at Hogwarts is because Dumbledore thinks she's useful as a spy on Harry Potter."

Hermione looked distinctly ruffled. "Professor Dumbledore knows what he's doing. He is, after all, the headmaster."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Dumbledore's senile, Granger. He doesn't care about the school – just his supposed _Greater Good_."

Ted, being the historian he was, crossed his arms and sighed heavily. "I may be mistaken," he said, "but that was the slogan of Gellert Grindelwald, one of the darkest wizards of Magical Britain, second only to Voldemort."

"What?" demanded Hermione. "Are you implying that Dumbledore's dark?"

"What do you expect from someone who married a Black, 'Mione?" spat Ron.

Ted, Draco, Sirius, Narcissa, Andromeda and Harry turned to look at him. Sirius stepped forward, an authoritative air around him.

"Look, boy, I don't like them either. They're disgusting, sadistic beasts. That does _not _give you the right to insult _my _family, especially when you're living_ under my roof,_" he said, his voice steadily rising.

Harry, despite his anger at Ron, couldn't help but shiver at the last words. He was forcibly reminded of his uncle, who claimed that Harry would have to 'earn his stay' as long as he was 'under their roof.'

Ted, not wanting to embarrass the poor lad, yet having heard from Sirius what had happened at Privet Drive, casually slung an arm around the boy. Ted scowled. He could never imagine harming his wife or daughter for any reason. He'd give his life for them without a second thought. He loved them more than life itself. Forcing himself back to reality, Ted focused on the heated conversation.

"It doesn't matter if Dumbledore's the headmaster, Hermione. He could be Merlin for all I care. Poppy is unqualified," said Sirius in a deceptively calm voice.

"My ancestor was Headmaster of Hogwarts," sneered Draco. "That didn't stop him from almost crushing the school."

Narcissa nodded slightly. She could see the change in her son already. She just hoped there would be enough time for him to change his pureblood behaviour.

Harry blinked. He often forgot that Draco Malfoy, of all people, was related not only to Sirius, but to Tonks. Pureblood families were confusing.

"As for Grindelwald," said Andromeda icily. "I'm sure Ted would love to tell you more about him."

She looked at her husband questioningly. He nodded subtly and ruffled Harry's hair before taking a seat at the table. He had, in those few days, come to like the boy. He didn't know if it was because his wife was the boy's godmother, because Tonks had a soft spot for him, or because he was genuinely a nice lad, but Ted enjoyed his company.

"Not much is known about Gellert Grindelwald," began Ted. "He was born late in the nineteenth century and attended Durmstrang Institute. It is a little-known fact that he is related to Bathilda Bagshot – author of 'A History of Magic.' Then, at some point, he met Dumbledore and they allied, both being brilliant, ambitious, powerful youngsters. Grindelwald wanted to end the Statute of Secrecy and create a world were wizards ruled and Muggles served them."

"You're wrong," defended Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore would never side with someone like that."

Draco threw his head back. "Granger, my uncle is a historian. He has studied in Magical France, Egypt, Russia, in Avalon, in the remains of the ancient magical settlements of Rome, Cairo, Lebanon – meaning former Phoenicia – and Athens. He's read hand-written diaries and watched memories in Pensieves. I think he knows _a bit _more than some Mud—Muggleborn schoolgirl."

Andromeda smiled faintly. The boy was at least making an effort. He had referred to Ted as 'uncle,' and had refrained from calling Hermione a Mudblood.

"I'm surprised you know where Cairo is, Malfoy," snapped Hermione.

A week ago, Harry would have said the same, but Andromeda had, in just a couple of days, had drilled her message in his head: 'Think before you speak.'

"For your information, Granger," spat Draco. "I had been educated in geography, mathematics, pureblood etiquette and behaviour, French, Latin, magical creatures, countries with a rich magical history, duelling, flying, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Defence against the Dark Arts, the Dark Arts and Arithmancy _before _attending Hogwarts."

"That reminds me," said Andromeda. "I need to start teaching you those lessons as well, Harry."

Tonks groaned. "Merlin, give him strength," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Dora?" asked Andromeda mildly.

"Nothing, mum," Tonks replied innocently.

"Come on, Meda," said Ted softly. "I never had to learn any of that and I turned out just fine."

"Sort of," added Sirius jokingly. "The rest of you is a huge arse, mate." He grinned at Ted.

"Oi, I'm trying to save your godson here, you insufferable mutt!" exclaimed Ted, mirth colouring his voice.

"I think it'd be good for him to learn some of those things. As future Lord Potter and current Head Potter, he _has _to know his roots."

Harry tried not to grimace.

Tonks grinned at him. "Good luck, Harry," she said cheekily.

Harry huffed. "Thank you, Dora."

Ginny, who had been suspiciously quiet until now, gaped. "You... Tonks... Dora... Didn't curse..."

"I think –," began Fred.

"What she means to say is –," continued George.

"That Harry dearest –,"

"Managed to call Tonksie here 'Dora' –,"

"And not get cursed!" they finished in unison.

Harry made an impersonation of Lucius Malfoy. "Well," he said confidently. "I _am _Harry Potter."

He grinned as Tonks, Sirius, Ted, the twins and Ginny started laughing. Even Narcissa cracked a smile.

"You weren't very far off, I'll give you that," admitted Draco grudgingly.

Harry shook his head. He didn't know what was going on with Malfoy, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Draco hated Lucius Malfoy – the man who insisted on using his heavy, silver cane for whenever he deemed Draco's behaviour 'inappropriate,' the man who had forced the menaces Crabbe and Goyle on him, the man who hadn't let him choose a side in the war, the man who verbally assaulted him with every chance he got. Of course, at school, Draco pretended that his father was the powerful politician everyone saw.

"Before you kill Harry slowly and painfully with your... etiquette," said Tonks, "I think he needs a magical check-up. His magic wasn't too strong last time I tested him..."

Remus turned to her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," admitted Tonks. "It just felt – odd, I suppose."

Remus tried to think back to when he taught the young boy. He had been powerful – not many could produce a Patronus Charm at such a young age, but there was something Remus, too, had sensed.

"Andromeda," he said. "Would you mind taking Harry for a check-up? In fact, why don't you test all of them? I think it's best that way."

Andromeda nodded. "Very well," she said, "it wouldn't hurt. Hermione, you're first."

Hermione made to protest, but went willingly with the imperious woman. They entered an unused room. Andromeda pulled out her wand.

"Now, this isn't like a Muggle check-up. I just need you to stand straight and not move. It's not going to hurt at all. In the end, you're going to feel a bit cold, but it only lasts a second, don't worry about it. "

Andromeda swished and waved her wand in complex movements Hermione had never seen before. A piece of parchment and a quill appeared in mid-air and started writing. A couple of minutes later, Andromeda grabbed the list and told Hermione she could leave.

Harry was next. Andromeda explained the procedure to him, and Harry stood straight, slightly wary of the wand in front of him. Andromeda curiously picked up the parchment when she had finished the test.

"Hmm," she said. "Alright, Harry, you may go.

She stared at the parchment, thoroughly unimpressed with a certain headmaster.

Magical Check-up

Patient name: Hadrian James Potter

Healer name: Andromeda Lyra Tonks (née Black)

Patient age: 15

Patient gender: Male

Patient parents: James Charlus Potter and Lily Iris Potter (née Evans)

Magical Charms detected:

Loyalty Charm

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

This charm ensures loyalty to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Ronald Billius Weasley, Hermione Jean Granger, Molly Olivia Weasley (née Prewett) and Arthur Septimus Weasley.

Opposition Charm

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

This charm ensures opposition to Severus Tobias Snape and Draco Lucius Malfoy.

Compliance Charm

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

This charm ensures compliance with Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Vernon David Dursley and Petunia Rose Dursley (née Evans).

Glamour Charm

Performed by Poppy Grace Pomfrey (unwillingly)

This charm changes Hadrian James Potter's appearance.

Features changed: Hair, skin colour, height stunt, eyesight stunt

Magical Blocks detected:

Magic Block

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Poppy Grace Pomfrey (unwillingly)

This block reduces Hadrian James Potter's magical ability with 30%.

Partial Metamorphmagus Block

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Poppy Grace Pomfrey (unwillingly) and Severus Tobias Snape (unwillingly)

This block reduces Hadrian James Potter's partial Metamorphmagus ability with 100%. (Only height and facial features)

Intelligence Block

Performed by Poppy Grace Pomfrey (under the influence of the Imperious Curse)

This block reduces Hadrian James Potter's intelligence with 65%.

Magical Core Block

Performed by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Poppy Grace Pomfrey (unwillingly) and Severus Tobias Snape (unwillingly)

This block locks Hadrian James Potter's magical core with 40%. This ensures:

Reduced duelling skills

Reduced Charms skills

Reduced Transfiguration skills

Reduced Potions skills

Reduced Alchemy skills

Reduced Healing skills

Reduced Warding skills

Slower healing

Incapability of finding a matching wand

"DUMBLEDORE," thundered Sirius once he had seen the parchment. "And what is it with Poppy? I expected it from Snivellus, but not from her!"

"Read the parchment, Sirius," said Remus exasperatedly. "It clearly states that they did it against their will."

"I DON'T BLOODY CARE!" yelled Sirius.

Both Harry and Draco shrank back. Sirius sent Draco a confused look, but lowered his voice anyway.

"Show me Draco's," demanded Narcissa.

"The only block he has is a Loyalty Charm to Lucius and Severus and an Opposition Charm to Harry, Hermione, the Weasley family and the Potter family. None of you had any other blocks," she said, looking at Ginny, Fred, George, Ron and Hermione.

"How will you remove them?" asked Ginny nervously.

"Ginny, I can't remove such blocks, dear. They're made by Goblins – you can cast them, but only they can remove them," said Andromeda gently. "We'll have to make an appointment in Gringotts."

Ginny looked at Harry concernedly. Fred and George put their arms around her.

"He'll be alright," they mumbled in unison.

Draco stared in jealousy. All his life, he had been gawked and gaped at, by other children who thought his clothes were odd, by Lords and Ladies who wanted their daughters to marry him, but he had never received such attention. No one, not even his own parents, had ever been concerned about his health. _Your mother was, she just couldn't show it, _said a voice in his head.

"I'll write a letter to Gringotts," said Sirius stonily.

He turned on his heels and stalked away, fuming. Andromeda raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'll contact Severus," she offered. "We need answers."

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

The group woke up in the middle of the night, ready to continue their Quest. It was uneventful for a couple of hours until, of course, they just _had _to go through Donegal to get to their destination. Morgana internally groaned. Why did they have to cross _Donegal_ of all places? They walked through the magnificent green lanes, with Marlene in the lead. James and Luke were tearing up. Old memories started coming back to them. Now, more than ever, they longed for their parents. Morgana tried to sooth them. Time passed slowly. Street after street, mountain after mountain, the county seemed endless to the three natives. As much as they loved their hometown, it was painful to be back there. Even for James and Luke, who had only the faintest memories of the county, it made them feel a wistful longing. They had been travelling for twelve hours – twelve long, agonising hours.

"We should rest," suggested Regulus.

The group sat down on the Glengesh Pass to rest. The Crowe brothers recognised it immediately.

"Yes," said Morgana wistfully. "Many old families used to meet here every day. It had become sort of a tradition."

Gaius looked curious.

"Which families, Mistress?" he asked.

"Ones the United Kingdom refuses to acknowledge," she said bitterly. "The Kings, the Bows, the Connors, the Coles, the Flannagans, the Wolfes and of course, the Crowes have been allies for countless generations. They would often meet in the Glengesh Pass to teach their children magic without being seen or heard by mortals"

Regulus looked down. He knew very well that in England, the families were separated into light and dark. He knew that they would never defeat Lord Voldemort like that – they had to unite and fight him together. It was getting rather dark, the stars and moon could be seen clearly in the black sky. Regulus leaned against his mother and stared at his favourite constellation – Canis Major.

An hour later, they were ready to continue the Quest. They travelled for hours, finally reaching the River Foyle. The settlement there was fairytale like. The sky was almost black, the only lights illuminating it were the crescent moon and the countless stars which were dispersed across the sky. Stone cottages which were surrounded by colourful flowers were scattered on the lovely green lanes, as if the builder couldn't have been bothered to arrange them in a straight line. Their pointed ceramic roofs were old worn. Dark grey clouds of smoke were rising up into the night sky from their chimneys, almost invisible in the darkness. The cottages' arched front doors were painted in bright, cheerful colours – green, blue, red, yellow, purple, orange and countless others. Sailboats of the same colours were bobbing up and down in the crystal-like water, small waves caused by the cool breeze sounding in the silent night. The green cottage door creaked as it was opened roughly, revealing a man in his early thirties, with sleek, dark brown hair and sad brown eyes. He narrowed his eyes at them.

"Who are you lot?" he demanded.

Morgana gasped. "Oh, Merlin," she muttered. "Just when I thought..."

She stood up and walked over to him. She tried to remain calm, but her emotions got the better of her.

"Do you not remember me, Thomas?" she asked gently, reaching out to touch his cheek.

The man's eyes widened.

"Igraine," he whispered. "Igraine, is it you?"

The rest of the group exchanged confused looks. Who was that man? Why was he calling Morgana 'Igraine?'

"It is I," she confirmed softly, stroking his cheek, running her hand through his hair.

"Where have you been?" he asked brokenly.

"I does not matter now, love."

"Why have you come back? Who are the people keeping you company?"

"They are my allies, my friends. I have come because I was chosen for a mission."

"Let me help you," pleaded Thomas. "Let me fight with you on this mission, Igraine."

Morgana looked reluctant. "Very well, if it is what you desire. I did not wish to be away from you, Thomas. But I was forced to."

"You have changed, Igraine. Your appearance is quite... different."

Morgana held out her right hand, her palm pointed toward Thomas and then touched her heart with it. Suddenly, she began to change. Her reddish-brown hair turned black and her warm brown eyes turned a sparkling midnight blue colour.

"Morgana," gasped Marlene. "What..? How...? Why...?"

Thomas turned to look at Marlene curiously and then turned back to Morgana.

"Why did she call you that?" he asked.

"I changed my name, Thomas, unofficially. I did it for safety reasons. I knew they would look for me everywhere. So I became a different person."

Marlene blinked. "So your real name is Igraine," she concluded bitterly.

Did Morgana-Igraine-whatever her name was not trust her enough to tell her something as small as her name?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Marlene. But it was too late – I wanted to change. I wanted to forget about the past. Please, Marlene, forgive me."

Marlene looked reluctant. She could understand that Mo-Igraine wanted to forget about the war, but she was still bitter about it.

"Tell me then, Morgana," said Marlene, for she refused to call her friend by her given name, "Tell me who you really are. Obviously, twelve years weren't long enough for you to trust me."

Morgana looked at them determinedly. "I am Igraine Whyte. I was born on the twenty-first of December in the year 1967. I have four siblings – Elaine, Viviane, Morgause and Emrys. I am married to Thomas Wolfe and have a daughter named Amber. I lived in this very settlement until twelve years ago, when I fled to Avalon with Luke and James. My daughter is currently studying magic at Merlin's Academy – she comes home at Yule for a month."

Marlene made an odd sound at the back of her throat. "I suppose we must call you Igraine now?"

Morgana lowered her gaze. "I am truly sorry, Marlene."

Marlene snapped. Grabbing her friend roughly by the shoulders, she growled. "That doesn't answer my question, _Igraine,_" she said mockingly.

Thomas pushed her away. "Would you not do the same if it your family were in danger? Would you not do the same if it was your family's lives being threatened?"

Igraine knew this day would come, she just hoped it would be later rather than sooner. She had done it to save her sisters, her brother, her husband, her parents, her only daughter.

Sighing heavily, Marlene stepped back. "I am sorry, Mor-Igraine. I did not mean to hurt you."

"It is alright, Marlene. Do not worry yourself about it."

The two ladies glanced at each other.

"Let's continue," suggested Gaius meekly. "Will you be joining us, Lord Wolfe?" he asked Thomas.

"I will. Can you please introduce yourselves first?"

After the introductions, the group left the all-wizard settlement known as Morhedge hurriedly, travelling east with Igraine in the lead, using only the stars for guidance. It was not long before the magicians came to a crossroads.

"Which way?" asked Marlene in a hushed tone.

"South," replied James and Luke without hesitation.

Everyone turned to stare at them. Thomas narrowed his eyes at them. They both shrugged.

"Trust us," said Luke. "I think there's an inn somewhere down the valleys. We could stay there for the night and travel at dawn. By tomorrow, we will have reached Monaghan."

"From there, we will travel to Louth. Then we shall cross the Irish Sea and reach Lancashire and later locate Camelot," supplied James.

"That's great, James, except we don't know _where_ Camelot is," pointed out Gaius.

"It isn't anywhere and yet, it's everywhere," said Thomas usefully.

"What's that supposed to mean?" cried Marlene. "Camelot is a castle! It has to be _somewhere_!"

"Have you not noticed, Marlene, how no legend ever mentions Camelot's precise location? It only appears to those worthy of finding it. That is why it is crucial we do. If we don't, the monsters that reside in its walls will completely destroy it and we will have no way of stopping them," said Igraine. With that frightening thought in mind, the group of seven travelled further into the valleys of Donegal. James confidently led the way to the inn, using only the barely visible North Star for navigation. During the night, he realised, the usually beautiful forests and the lovely valleys of Ireland appeared threatening and deadly. The tall, magnificent oak trees looked like furious giants, ready to strike the now homeless magicians, the gaps between their leaves looking like twisted, disfigured smiles. The wind sounded frightening and the once wondrous lakes and rivers looked like endless, bottomless pits of darkness. Igraine could remember stumbling through painfully similar woods with little Elaine in her arms, trying to run from the merciless and brutal enemies of the five lands. Thick fog was covering the bright, glorious stars that used to light up the black sky. Oh, how Regulus loved them...

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

Severus Snape, also known as 'The Evil Dungeon Bat' and 'Greasy Git,' was standing in the centre of 12 Grimmauld Place's drawing room, arms folded over his chest.

"Mrs Black," he said smoothly. "Is there any particular reason why you have contacted me at this ungodly hour? I have work to do."

"Firstly, Severus, it's Mrs Tonks or Andromeda if you wish. In case you haven't forgotten, we went to school together and were Sorted in the same house. Secondly, I demand to know what this," she said, shoving the parchment at him, "is."

"This, _Andromeda,_" he said sarcastically, "is obviously a piece of parchment which you intend to blind me with. I am not blind, woman."

He grabbed the parchment from her and read it quickly. "Where did you get this?" he asked, the little colour he had in his face, gone.

"I'm a Healer, Severus," she replied, as if talking to a toddler. "That means I give people check-ups."

He paled further. "Take them all to Gringotts. Now, as I may have mentioned before, I have work to do."

She grabbed his arm. "You're going too, Severus. I can't risk it. You're one of Albus's most important chess pieces – if he loses you, he loses everything. If you have a charm, you'll be back to normal again. You can hide it from him the rest of the time – you're a spy."

Snape sneered. "I don't have time for games, Andromeda."

"You will if I petrify you and levitate you to Gringotts," she threatened.

Snape glared, but didn't argue further.

"The appointment is tomorrow at 9 'o clock," smirked Andromeda.

TIME SKIP

Hermione was furious. Those purebloods ruined everything! First the Tonkses, now the Malfoys... She expected Harry to at least be able to see her point of view. How could he believe those things Sirius had said about Dumbledore? Honestly, the man's stay in Azkaban had driven him mad. Hermione didn't know how anyone could be so blinded. She looked at the timepiece on the wall. It read 8.15. Hermione quickly got ready and descended the stairs. She could hear talking.

"Once we get back, you're going to have to start a couple of classes," she recognised Sirius's voice.

Hermione excitedly pushed the door open. Andromeda, Ted, Tonks, Remus, Harry, Sirius, the twins, Ron, Ginny, Malfoy, Mrs Malfoy, and... No! It was Snape! Hermione couldn't believe her misfortune.

"Ah, Hermione," said Remus. "You're here, good."

"Good morning, sir," said Hermione. "Sirius, what lessons did you mean?" she asked excitedly.

"Just how long were you –," began Ginny.

"You'll see," winked Sirius.

"Shall we get going?" asked Narcissa.

Sirius altered his appearance – he was now a man of average height with messy brown hair, a round face and blue-grey eyes.

They Apparated, or in some cases, side-along Apparated, to Diagon Alley. They entered Gringotts with Narcissa in the lead. She marched up to a goblin.

"I wish to speak to Goldsteam," she demanded haughtily.

"And you are...?" said the goblin lazily.

"Narcissa Black," said Narcissa.

The goblin hopped off his chair and called a much older goblin – Goldsteam.

The group followed Goldsteam into an empty chamber.

"You can take the glamour off, Mr Black," said Goldsteam drily.

Sirius removed the glamour charm and turned to the goblin. "Director Goldsteam, I require your assistance with a problem that has recently arisen."

He explained about the blocks and charms and asked him to do another test on the twins, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, just in case.

"Bronzeclaw," called the goblin. "Take those five in for block tests."

He then turned to face the rest of them – Andromeda, Sirius, Narcissa, Harry and Draco.

"Mr Malfoy, you're coming first," said the goblin.

Draco followed him into another room. He sat down on a stone bench and waited. Then all he knew was pain. It was worse than the Cruciatus. It was worse than anything he had ever felt. He fought not to pass out. Finally, it seemed to be coming to an end. Draco felt different. He felt calmer, more powerful. He felt stronger, braver.

"Mr Potter," called Goldsteam.

Harry, too, had the charms and blocks taken off. But he not only felt, but looked different as well. He no longer required glasses. His hair was slightly lighter and tamer and had a faint shade of red to it. He was a bit taller and his skin was no longer as pale. He, too, felt much stronger and more relaxed. He staggered to Sirius and plopped down on a bench, trying to stay conscious. Sirius spun around to glare at Goldsteam.

"What did you do to him?" demanded Sirius.

"He'll be well again in about half an hour," snapped Goldsteam.

Just then, Bronzeclaw came inside the chamber, the four Weasleys and Hermione trailing awkwardly behind him.

"No charms," confirmed Bronzeclaw.

Andromeda nodded and rose from her seat. Sirius gently shook Harry to wake him up.

"Thank you, Bronzeclaw, Goldsteam, it was a pleasure doing business with you," said Sirius, dropping a handful of Galleons into Goldsteam's hand.

"Likewise, Lord Black," they said.

Sirius put on his glamour charm again and they exited the impressive building. Ted supported Draco's weight, as the young Malfoy was still unable to walk. They reached Grimmauld Place successfully and set the boys to rest. Ginny stared at Harry's unmoving form.

"He's changed a lot," she said.

Ted chuckled. "Wait 'till the Opposition Charms come off... Can you imagine those two being friendly to each other?"

Narcissa smiled faintly. "It would be nice to see my little Dragon without his prejudices."

Just then, Arthur and Molly entered the drawing room and looked at the two sleeping boys.

"Sirius, what is going on here?" asked Molly.

"Now, Molly, I'm sure they've got everything under control," soothed Arthur, "at least I know Andromeda and Remus are." He winked at Sirius.

Narcissa stepped forward and explained what had happened in a hushed tone. The two Weasleys paled.

"That's impossible," whispered Molly. "Albus would never do that."

"I – How? Dumbledore..." said Arthur.

"Please tell me there weren't any on our poor children," cried Molly.

"Your children are fine, Molly," said Tonks gently. "It's just Harry and Draco."

"Severus is still at Gringotts. They're doing more advanced tests on him," said Narcissa.

"By Merlin!" exclaimed Arthur. "You don't mean Severus was also charmed?"

Molly knelt down next to the two boys. Admittedly, she didn't particularly like Draco, but he was still just a boy, and having raised seven children, Molly knew he needed help now more than ever. Their appearances had changed, too. Harry's hair was tinted red, he looked healthier and he wasn't wearing glasses. Draco's hair was a bit darker and messier, his features weren't as sharp – they looked more like Narcissa's – and his cheekbones looked more pronounced. Molly ran a hand through Harry's hair. She realised he was no longer the little boy who was nervous about boarding the Hogwarts Express. Harry was young, but he was strong, he had faced dangers not even Order members had faced. Molly wanted to protect him, to take care of him, to hide him until Voldemort disappeared. She turned to look at Draco. He looked so innocent while he was asleep. He wasn't the boy that sneered at blood traitors and Muggleborns, he wasn't the boy who always tried to get Ron and Harry in trouble – he was just a young boy who had been influenced by his father too much.

The boys started waking up. Harry sat up and put his head in his hands.

"Wha's goin' on?" he slurred.

THIS IS A LINE BREAK

"Regulus, we can't just lead them to wherever we think this Harry is. We have to go there ourselves," said Marlene.

"But, mum, we'll never get there. It'll take us forever to get from Lancashire to Greater London."

"Hush, child. We can use different means of transportation once we exit Ireland. They can't track us in Great Britain. We will find a way. First, we will complete our Quest and then we shall find a way to London, assuming that's where your father is."

"So we're going to find him, right?" mumbled Regulus.

"Yes, child, we will."

Dawn came and the rest of the magicians woke up, one by one.

The Quest team reached the inn at midday. The sun was giving it a warm, pleasant glow. As its name would suggest, the Drunken Leprechaun was painted green, its wooden walls rough and unpolished. The inn's drainpipes appeared to be leaking, producing an irritating, yet hypnotising sound as the water fell on the cobblestone street. The metallic lamps attached to the door were still alight, producing a yellowish glow reminiscent of a cat's eyes in the dark.

"Is this it?" asked Marlene.

Thomas nodded excitedly, looking like a young child on Christmas Day.

"Ooh, me dad works here," he said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Everyone looked at him curiously.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" asked Luke.

He shrugged. "Forgot to," he mumbled.

The Crowe boys and Gaius stared at him incredulously.

"Let's go in, shall we?" said Igraine, trying to avert the team's attention.

The inside was more than they had expected. The floor was made of cold, black stone, covered by wooden chairs and tables which were scattered across the pub. A fireplace was situated near the wall, a couple of short rocking chairs surrounding the crackling flames. A couple of small, simple chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling. Soft, red couches were occupied by laughing men, glasses of spirits in their hands. The barman was serving drink after drink, grinning broadly at the tips he was given. People were crowded around the fireplace, singing Merlin only knew what song. Their drunken slur was incomprehensible. A couple of more civilised people were sitting on one of the tables, playing an animated game of checkers. The mood was refreshingly cheerful for the group of travellers. All the singing and celebrating put them in a fairly good mood. Igraine and Thomas smiled slightly, old memories rapidly coming back to them. Thomas motioned for his allies to follow him, making his way to the barman.

"Oi, Charlie!" he called.

The barman looked up. His face split into a wide grin, holding out his arms.

"Tom, my boy, where've you been?" he asked.

"Look, Charlie, we really need a room for tonigh'. Think you can get us one?" said Thomas.

"Right," said Charlie. "There's a whole lot of ya here, you're goin' to be using a magic room, unless ya want to split?"

The seven looked at each other. "We'll split," decided Igraine.

They booked five rooms. Igraine wanted to stay with Thomas and Luke and James refused to split.

"Charlie," said Thomas. "Is me dad here?"

"Oh, no, lad, ole Jack is at home with 'is wife, 'e's restin' tonigh'."

"Thanks, Charlie," said Thomas. "Shall we go to our rooms now? It's gettin' quite late, no?"

And they did. For seven glorious hours, the travellers slept peacefully, blissfully unaware of the challenges they were soon going to face.


End file.
